Sherlock's Secret
by Lisabeth Mills
Summary: What if Sherlock had a little girl, but nobody knew about her. Mycroft didn't even know of her existence. But when Sherlock and everyone he loves is being hunted. What if one of the only safe places left is where he had hidden his greatest and most precious secret. Mild violence and gore, but still suitable for most audiences.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, this is my first story and it turned out to be a little OOC, sorry about that, thanks for reading.**

Chapter 1- A Wedding, a Birth, and a Shooting.

Sherlock was smiling, one of the few times people really saw him smile, as he stood at the end of the aisle waiting. There she was, walking calmly towards him in a short white dress, and with a bright smile on her face, like not a thing in the world mattered except that both of them were there.

None of his family was and neither was hers, except for her sister Amelia, who was their witness. Amelia was in a short blue dress, standing a little behind the minister, smiling and holding a video camera, as her sister walked towards the groom. The bride continued her slow walk, a bunch of wildflowers from outside in her hands, but none of the place settings or traditions mattered to either of them.

Finally the bride reached the three people standing close together, and Amelia moved in front if the bride and groom to get a good shot.

The bride and groom gazed into each others eyes, and then briefly looked at the minister to let him know they were ready. The minister began,

"We have gathered here today to join this man, and this woman in holy matrimony." As the minister continued to speak, the bride and groom fell even more deeply into each others eyes, and then came time for the vows.

" Do you, William Sherlock Scott Holmes, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love and cherish her, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part."

"I do." Sherlock said.

The minister then turned to the bride.

"Do you, Erica Melody Parks, take this man to your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love and cherish him, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part."

"I do." Erica said.

The minister looked at both of them.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride."

...9 months later…

A cry filled the air, and the new mother was relieved, there had been no complications, but she was relieved nonetheless. The newborn was wrapped in a blanket and handed up to where both parents were waiting to see.

" Mrs. Holmes," the doctor said. "You have a daughter."

Both parents smiled looking at the newborn girl, and after a moment she opened her eyes, and looked at both of them with bright blue orbs that seemed to take in everything.

Meanwhile the nurse was filling out the birth certificate.

"Time of birth, 5:02 a.m. What are you going to call her?" The nurse said with a kind smile. Both parents looked at each other, and then back at the newborn girl, the father then spoke up.

"Emma. Emma Jane Holmes."

A little over two years later…

Sherlock walked down the street with a light smile on his face, another case solved. As Erica and little Emma came into view his smile only widened, 2 months after Emma had been born he had resumed taking private cases. He was about six feet away before Emma ran to him with a huge grin on her face.

"Daddy!" she almost yelled. He quickly swooped her up as she ran to him, gave her a quick kiss, before looking over to his wife. She looked like she was about to say something before he heard a bang!

Something seemed to hit Erica in the leg, and she collapsed. He quickly ran the last few feet to her and crouched down, before he heard a bang as something hit the sidewalk beside them. People were screaming and running to find cover, and more shots resonated through the air. Sherlock helped Erica up quickly, and still holding Emma he got them both inside the nearest shop doorway. But not before he felt Erica fall forward, he then felt a slight pain in his elbow that had been behind Erica, and worse pain in his leg. As he got them in the shop, he could hear more shots and the sound of sirens, it would seem the police were arriving, and as they did were ducking behind their cars for cover from the shooter. Erica fell forward and rolled onto her back, and as Sherlock gently set Emma down and made sure she was unhurt, Erica put a hand up to her abdomen. After he had looked over Emma, Sherlock saw blood leaking out from behind Erica's hand. He moved it quickly and realized she had been shot through and through, she was losing a lot of blood and gasped for air.

"Mommy?" Emma asked looking scared.

Sherlock was putting down pressure on the wound, despite his own injuries, and looking at Erica.

"Everything will be fine," he was saying. " You're going to be fine."

Erica just shook her head and whispered.

" I love you…...both of you." and then closed her eyes and was still. Sherlock kept shaking his head and yelled.

"Help! Somebody help! Please!" and the police and an EMT ran in. Emma was pushed to the side, and the EMT began work. More people came into the room, and Sherlock's hands were moved and he was pulled back, while Emma was held gently out of the way by a police officer,

"Sir, your bleeding!" exclaimed one of the EMT's who was not working on Erica. Sherlock tried to protest, but he had lost a good amount of blood by this time and was near unconscious. Both Erica and Sherlock were taken to the hospital by ambulance, and Emma was taken to the police station.

The ride to the hospital was short, but it was already to late. When Erica arrived at the emergency room she was pronounced dead.


	2. Chapter 2-The Funeral

**Hey, it's been a little while, and I'm alive, sorry about the wait. A big thank you to everyone who followed and favorited, it meant a lot to me that people were even reading this story. **

**I realized later that I had given you guys no timeline whatsoever for this story. So Chapters 1 and 2, and other chapters henceforth are all before "A Study in Pink", so before the series even started really. We will obviously speed forward in time later on, but I will let you know when that happens, so we're here for now.**

**Please Read and Review, I would love to hear everyone's thoughts and opinions. Now, on to the story.**

Chapter 2-

When Sherlock awoke he was lying in a hospital bed, he had a morphine drip and his leg was bandaged. Sherlock's brain felt foggy. He laid there for a minute or two trying to remember what happened, then the memories came flooding back and he shot up with a start.

"Erica!" he exclaimed. A nurse came running in to find him sitting up in bed, looking around frantically and beginning to hyperventilate.

"Sir, are you alright?" she asked "Can you tell me your name? Do you know where you are?" Sherlock looked to her frantically,

"Erica, where's Erica?!" he was growing even more panicked, "Where is she? What happened to her?" The nurse looked at him unfazed.

"Sir, I need you to calm down." Sherlock began to breathe more slowly, he knew she wouldn't tell him anything if he didn't even appear somewhat calm.

"That's better." The nurse continued, "Now, Can you tell me your name?"

"Sherlock Holmes." Sherlock supplied.

"Good, now do you know where you are?" the nurse replied.

"There was a shooting, I'm at the hospital for a gunshot wound to the leg," Sherlock answered. He was becoming impatient and so he decided to just answer what he knew would be her next question.

"Now please," Sherlock asked, "I need to get to my wife, Erica Holmes, where is she?"

The nurse sighed, "Wait here, I'll get the doctor."

The nurse left and returned a few minutes later with someone Sherlock deduced could only be the doctor. (Okay so maybe his deductive reason was kind of obvious, but he had been shot, put on the happy stuff, and was currently panicking about his wife's condition. So, give him a break.)

"Mr. Holmes," the doctor said, " I see you're awake."

"Yes," Sherlock said, " and I have more important matters to see to, so just let me sum up what you're about to say. I was shot in the thigh through and through. You had to do surgery to help repair the damage, though the bone remained mostly intact. I will have to be in a wheelchair for at least two weeks, and then crutches for a week, the soreness will still be consistent for several months, and I will need physical therapy. There, now where is my wife!?"

The doctor wiped a surprised look off his face, before looking at Sherlock sadly.

"I assume your wife has the name Erica Melody Holmes, correct?"

Sherlock nodded.

"Mr. Holmes," the doctor said solemnly, "your wife was brought to this hospital at the same time you were, but it was already too late. She was already dead when she was brought in...I'm so sorry Mr. Holmes."

Sherlock was in shock, he just stared at the doctor with a look of pure grief. Yet, despite his growing sadness and overwhelming emptiness, something played at his heart and something tingled in his brain. He was not thinking of something very important,

"_Emma._" his mind finally supplied. Emma, his child, his daughter…...where was she?!

Sherlock looked up at the doctor with a start.

" And my daughter Emma?!"

"Who?" the doctor asked confused.

"My two-year-old daughter, Emma Jane Holmes," Sherlock said impatiently.

The doctor looked at his notes. "There was a child at the scene, she said her name was Emma Jane Holmes and asked the officers to call her aunt Amelia, is this her?" He showed Sherlock a picture that looked like it had been taken at a police station. It was indeed Emma, she had blood on her clothes and her face lacked the usual smile.

Sherlock wasn't surprised Emma had told the officers her name, despite being only two years old, she had talked early, and was well on her way to forming complete sentences.

Sherlock also remembered a few weeks earlier when Amelia had come for Emma's birthday. Amelia had gifted Emma a toy phone, upon which Emma had excitedly asked. "What your number aunty?"

A ghost of a smile appeared on Sherlock's face when he remembered how quickly Emma had committed the number to memory. She showed perhaps even more intellectual prowess than he had as a child.

" Yes, that's her! Where is she?" Sherlock asked.

"The officers called the number she gave them, but they didn't want her to just go with the woman that came." The doctor said, looking through his notes again.

"Did they ask the woman her name?" asked Sherlock with an annoyed tone.

"Yes, Amelia Parks." The doctor said with a questioning tone.

"Yes." Sherlock said quickly and somewhat impatiently, " She has my full permission to take Emma."

"I'll call the station and let them know they can leave." The nurse said as she and the doctor left the room.

Sherlock laid back and sighed, his wife, the love of his life, was gone.

"Till death do us part," Sherlock thought.

Sherlock laid there in his grief for a while, before he heard two sets of rapid footsteps headed towards him and sat up. He already knew who it was, and soon Amelia walked in the door holding Emma's hand tightly.

"Daddy!" Emma cried and ran towards him. He scooped her up on the bed and held her close.

Sherlock looked at Amelia, "Have you heard?" he asked slowly. Amelia curled her lips and nodded as tears filled her eyes, he didn't need to say what he was talking about. "Does she know?" Sherlock asked as his voice cracked.

Amelia shook her head and said quietly," I'm sorry, I just couldn't tell her." Sherlock looked at her with a sad but understanding look. It wasn't Amelia's responsibility to tell Emma, it was his.

Right at that moment Emma sat up straighter and looked up at him. "Where's mummy?" Emma asked, she sounded so innocent, he hated that he was about to take some of that away from her.

Sherlock steeled himself for what he was about to do and stroked Emma's hair, but still couldn't speak. How did he tell his little girl that her mother was dead. Instead, Emma gave him a look that was both sad and understanding,

"She isn't coming back is she?" asked Emma, but it was more like a statement.

Sherlock smiled sadly at her, "No, my darling." he said shaking his head lightly.

If possible Emma looked even sadder, and she hid her face on his chest and began to sob quietly. Sherlock just held her and began to shed a few tears of his own. Amelia stepped out then, to give them some privacy and release her own tears.

The funeral for Erica Melody Holmes was held a few days later. Erica's family was so absorbed in the service and their grief; that no one noticed how Amelia, Erica's dear sister, stayed off to the side and sat near a man in a wheelchair with a little girl in his lap.

During the service, the preacher spoke of a woman by the name of Erica Melody Parks. Sherlock and Amelia had decided it was best not to let Erica's family know about him and Emma, that was how Erica had kept it for almost three years. So during the service, her maiden name was used, but Amelia had overseen most of the funeral arrangements. So on the gravestone, another name was emblazoned...

..Erica Melody Holmes...

**Hopefully, I will be able to get the next update out faster. That's all for now. :) **


	3. Chapter 3-Life Goes onsort of

**So...I'm not dead. I was originally going to post one long chapter but it is taking forever to finish, so I am going to post a bunch of short chapters instead.**

**Shout out to **islammimi738**Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! It meant so much to me, and I'm glad you like it.**

A few weeks had passed and Sherlock and Emma were surviving.

Amelia had been staying with them so she could take care of Emma while Sherlock was still in a wheelchair. Amelia was managing the best she could, despite having just lost her sister, she knew Erica would have wanted her to help, and besides Sherlock was one of the best brothers in law she had ever had, and Emma was a sweetheart.

Sherlock was currently sitting in the room he had made into a sort of office that connected directly to his bedroom, and Emma was playing with her toys in her own room. Amelia went in to go check on Sherlock and knocked on his door.

"Sherlock, are you okay, you have been in there since yesterday, you should eat something," Amelia called.

"I'm fine," he called back. Amelia knew he was anything but fine, but who was she to judge how someone dealt with grief. He was probably in there because he didn't want his own sorrow to effect Emma, she knew she didn't want her grief to effect her little niece.

"Okay, but you really need to come out and eat soon." Amelia said gently, and then left to go and check on Emma."

Night came and Sherlock still hadn't emerged from his office/bedroom/bathroom.

(**Just so nobody is confused about how this is going on**.)

Amelia was tucking Emma into bed.

"Auntie," Emma questioned, "Is daddy okay?"

"He's gonna be okay," Amelia said after a moment. "He's just a little sad right now."

But Emma's curiosity wasn't satisfied.

Emma: "When is daddy gonna come out of his room?"

Amelia: "I don't know right now sweety."

Emma: "Ith he mad at me?" she asked with a somber face. Emma often had more trouble with pronunciation when she was scared, worried, sad, or upset.

Amelia: "No sweetheart. Of course not." Amelia responded quickly, "He's not mad at you okay, nobody is mad at you."

Emma seemed to understand and nodded. Amelia was always amazed at how much she understood and remembered.

"Goodnight Auntie," Emma said sweetly.

"Goodnight," Amelia started, and then remembered something that might make her niece smile "EJ." Emma seemed shocked at first but then gave her aunt a small smile.

Not long after Emma's second birthday, her mother had begun to teach her about things like names and initials. After learning her own name and initials, Emma had expressed how much she liked both her own full name and her initials. So, Erica had begun to call her EJ as a nickname, after Erica died everybody seemingly forgotten the short, cute name Emma liked so much.

"Sweet dreams, sweetheart," Amelia said giving her niece a final kiss on her head. Emma smiled and closed her eyes as Amelia went out and cracked the door.

Amelia went through the kitchen and living room to make sure everything was in order, before going back to Sherlock's door. Sherlock still hadn't come out of his sealed off quarters since a short trip out last week. Amelia was about to knock, but then stopped, what could she even say. Instead, she went towards the guest bedroom she was occupying at the end of the other hall, passing Emma's door on the way. However, as she passed by Emma's door she heard something, a soft crying, Amelia went to check on Emma. But as she entered the room the crying stopped, she looked to the bed and there was Emma with her eyes perfectly closed, her breathing even. Amelia would have thought she was asleep if it weren't for the slight tears on her cheeks. Amelia reached for her hand and put her other hand on her face. Emma looked up with big, wet eyes.

"Ith daddy going 'way too...like mummy did?" Emma asked softly.

"No sweetheart, of course not, daddy's fine. In fact, I bet we'll see him tomorrow." Amelia said seriously. Emma smiled slightly and closed her eyes. Amelia stayed with her until she was sure Emma was asleep. Then going to her own room finalized her resolve.

**That's it for now, I will post the next chapter much sooner. Thank you for reading!**


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